TL;DR: Mu Ko Lanta National Park sits at the southern tip of Koh Lanta Yai and is built around the Laem Tanod (Tanod Cape) headland: a white lighthouse on the cliffs, a short nature trail of about 1.7-2km looping through forest to a viewpoint, a 300-metre beach (Ta Nod Beach) with shallow turquoise water, and resident monkeys that will help themselves to unguarded food. Entry is ฿200 (about US$6) for foreign adults and ฿100 for children, plus ฿30 for a car or ฿20 for a motorbike; Thai nationals pay ฿40. The park is open daily, roughly 8am to between 4:30 and 5:30pm depending on the source. It sits at the end of the west-coast road, about 45 minutes to an hour from Saladan, with a steep, rough final stretch that is hard work on an underpowered scooter. Basic facilities include a ranger station, a small restaurant, and a campsite. All prices ฿33 = US$1 (July 2026).
Mu Ko Lanta National Park occupies the southern tip of Koh Lanta Yai, a quiet headland of forest and cliffs a world away from the west-coast beach strip. It is one of the island’s few paid sights, and the pay-off is a compact loop of a cliff-top lighthouse, a short forest trail to a viewpoint, a small swimming beach, and a colony of monkeys that treats visitors’ bags as a buffet. This guide covers the entry fee, opening hours, the lighthouse and trail, the beach, the wildlife, and exactly how to get there down the island’s rough southern road. Every figure below is checked against 2026 park listings and visitor guides, cited at the end.
Prices are in Thai baht (THB) with US dollars in parentheses, converted at ฿33 = US$1 (July 2026). The park is one entry in a wider island; for the full set of sights see outthailand.com’s things to do in Koh Lanta pillar guide, and to pick a base within easy reach of the south, see where to stay in Koh Lanta.
Mu Ko Lanta National Park at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Laem Tanod, southern tip of Koh Lanta Yai |
| Entry (foreign adult) | ฿200 (~$6) |
| Entry (foreign child, 3-14) | ฿100 (~$3) |
| Entry (Thai adult / child) | ฿40 / ฿20 |
| Vehicle | Car ฿30, motorbike ฿20 |
| Opening hours | Daily, ~8am to 4:30-5:30pm |
| Nature trail | ~1.7-2km loop, ~1 hour, moderate |
| Beach | Ta Nod Beach, ~300m |
| From Saladan | ~45 min to 1 hour by road |
Figures compiled from national park listings and visitor guides; see Sources. Prices at ฿33 = US$1 (July 2026).
What does it cost, and when is it open?
Entry is ฿200 (about US$6) for foreign adults, ฿100 for foreign children aged 3-14, and ฿40 for Thai adults, plus a small vehicle fee of ฿30 for a car or ฿20 for a motorbike. The fee is collected in cash at the gate near the southern tip of the island, so bring baht rather than relying on a card. Opening hours are reported inconsistently, with different sources giving a closing time of 4:30, 5:00 or 5:30pm, all opening around 8am. To avoid being caught out, plan to arrive by early-to-mid afternoon at the latest, which also leaves you daylight for the trail and the drive back up the island’s rough southern road.
The Laem Tanod lighthouse
The lighthouse is the park’s signature sight, a white tower standing on the cliffs at Laem Tanod, the southernmost point of Koh Lanta Yai. It marks the meeting point of the two bays that flank the headland, and while the structure itself is generally closed to entry, a viewing platform just beyond it opens up a wide sweep of the Andaman Sea. The walk up from the car park or the beach is short but climbs a set of steep steps, so it is a quick effort rather than a hike in its own right. On a clear day it is the best viewpoint in the park, and a natural place to pause before or after the longer nature trail.
The nature trail and viewpoint
The park’s nature trail is a loop of about 1.7 to 2km, roughly an hour at a moderate pace, climbing through coastal forest from the car park to a viewpoint and back down to the beach. It starts with a steep set of stairs and is rated moderate rather than easy, so wear proper shoes rather than flip-flops; trekking sandals or trainers are ideal. The reward is the forest itself, alive with birdsong and the chance of spotting monkeys in the canopy, and the viewpoint looking out over the bays and the lighthouse headland. It is not a long trail, but the humidity and the climb make it feel like a proper little walk, so carry water.
Ta Nod Beach
Ta Nod Beach at the park headquarters is a 300-metre strip of shallow, clear turquoise water, good for cooling off but not a flawless resort beach. There are rocky patches and dead coral in places, particularly towards the eastern end and at low tide, and the park runs a jellyfish-flag warning system, where a green flag signals conditions are considered safe. Some visitor accounts describe two sections either side of the lighthouse headland, one rockier and one sandier, so it is worth walking a little to find the better patch. With picnic huts and shade behind the sand, it makes a relaxed spot to rest after the trail.
The monkeys (and how to handle them)
The park has resident dusky leaf monkeys and crab-eating macaques, and the macaques in particular will snatch unguarded food, drinks and bags. You will commonly see them along the access road, in the trees by the nature trail, and around the beach, picnic huts and toilets. Signs throughout the park warn visitors not to feed them, both because it encourages aggressive behaviour and because they can bite. Keep your bag zipped and close to you, do not walk around with food or drink in hand, and resist the urge to get close for a photo. Treat them as wildlife to watch from a sensible distance, not as a petting-zoo attraction.
How to get to the national park
The park is at the very end of the west-coast road on the southern tip of the island, about 45 minutes to an hour from Saladan and the northern beaches, and roughly 25 minutes from Klong Nin. Most visitors ride a scooter or drive, but the final stretch to the entrance is genuinely steep and potholed, with gradient warnings on the sharpest sections, and it is hard work on a small or underpowered scooter. A car, a truck-taxi (songthaew), or a confident and experienced rider on a decent bike is the safer choice; first-time scooter renters sometimes end up walking the bike up the worst of the hill. There is no public transport to the gate, so factor the drive into your plan for the day. For getting around the island more generally, and the beaches you will pass on the way down, see outthailand.com’s Koh Lanta beaches guide.
Facilities and staying overnight
Basic facilities at the headquarters include a ranger station, a small restaurant and toilets, plus a shaded car park and picnic huts by the beach. For those who want to linger, the park has simple two-room bungalows for around ฿1,500 (US$45) a night and a campsite, with tent hire at about ฿450 and a camping fee of around ฿80 per person per night, arranged through the national park. It is a rustic way to have the headland to yourself after the day-trippers leave, though most visitors treat the park as a half-day outing rather than an overnight. Do not expect shops or ATMs down here, so bring what you need.
Best time to visit
The dry season, roughly November to May, is the best window: calmer seas, better trail conditions and clearer views. The wider Mu Ko Lanta National Park includes offshore islands such as Koh Rok that officially close for the southwest monsoon from about mid-May to the end of October, but the mainland Laem Tanod headland is generally accessible year-round. Within the day, morning or late afternoon is more comfortable than the fierce midday heat on the exposed trail and beach. Pair the visit with the beaches on the drive down for a full day at the quieter southern end of the island.
Honest downsides
- The drive is a commitment. The last stretch of road is steep and rough, and the park sits at the far end of the island, so getting there and back eats a good part of the day.
- The beach is pleasant, not perfect. Rocks, dead coral and the odd jellyfish warning mean it is a nice cool-off rather than a swimming showpiece.
- The monkeys are cheeky and occasionally bold. Keep food and bags secured; a snatched lunch or a bitten hand is an avoidable way to spoil the visit.
- Opening hours are fuzzy. Sources disagree on the closing time, so do not push your luck late in the afternoon.
Bottom line
Mu Ko Lanta National Park is a low-key highlight rather than a blockbuster: a cliff-top lighthouse, a forest loop to a viewpoint, a small beach and a troop of opportunistic monkeys, all for a modest ฿200 entry. Ride or drive down with realistic expectations, take the nature trail and the lighthouse viewpoint, keep your snacks away from the macaques, and set aside time for the rough road down and back. Fold it into a wider plan with outthailand.com’s things to do in Koh Lanta and Koh Lanta beaches guides, sort a base with where to stay in Koh Lanta, and check what’s on while you are on the island.
Sources
- Mu Ko Lanta National Park - Thai National Parks: entrance fees, opening hours (8:30-16:30), Ta Nod Beach (300m), nature trail (1.7km), wildlife species, bungalow and camping prices
- Mu Koh Lanta National Park Guide - Tieland to Thailand: fees, lighthouse cliff detail, monkey warning, seasonal closure of offshore islands
- Koh Lanta National Park - Home Is Where Your Bag Is: fees, hours, beach sections, nature trail (2km / 1 hour), monkey species and bite warning, 25-minute route from Klong Nin
- Mu Ko Lanta National Park - Five Tickets to Roam: loop trail detail, jellyfish-flag system, steep road and scooter difficulty, 40-minute drive from Khlong Dao
- Mu Ko Lanta National Park - ForeverVacation: opening hours, best-time-to-visit note
- Lighthouse Koh Lanta, Waterfall Bay - Wanderlog: lighthouse location and access